Passengers to pay over €50,000 for air incident

Two New Yorkers at the centre of an air rage incident that forced a plane to divert to Shannon last Friday yesterday avoided …

Two New Yorkers at the centre of an air rage incident that forced a plane to divert to Shannon last Friday yesterday avoided jail after paying out over €50,000.

At Gort District Court yesterday, Judge Joseph Mangan also imposed suspended sentences of six months on Guy Sant Arnaud (42), and three months on Warren Clamen (39), for their role in the incident during which four flight attendants were assaulted.

Judge Mangan also imposed a condition on the two that they not fly - apart from their return trip to New York - for the next two years as part of a bond to keep the peace. The judge also ordered that the men's details be forwarded to the International Civil Aviation Authority. The penalties included the payment of $10,080 each to the court poor box.

The men had already spent three nights in Limerick prison after Judge Mangan refused bail last Friday. Before imposing the financial penalties, Judge Mangan demanded details of the men's financial circumstances. Solicitor for the two, Ms Catriona Carmody, told the court that Mr Clamen, a chartered account, has a salary of €200,000, while Mr Sant Arnaud, an architect, earns €85,000.

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Mr Carmody said that Mr Clamen saves €30,000 per annum, while Mr Sant Arnaud has no savings as he pays for the care of his elderly parents who are unwell. At last Friday's court hearing, Ms Carmody said that the incident which prompted the air rage episode stemmed from the men not being allowed use the toilet in the business class of the aircraft.

Ms Carmody said the two men at the time believed that the flight attendants had over-reacted by trying to handcuff them with flexi-cuffs She also said American Airlines had issued the men with a bill for the cost of diverting the London bound flight to Shannon.